B i r d s of a F e a t h e r
by Crimson-Curved
Summary: Shen/Crane. Post KFP2. Thanks to Po, the Five have taken in the injured Shen, and he tries to convice them that he can be changed, that there is good in him. When Crane comes to accept this . . . is it such a bad thing?
1. Chapter I

**A / N**: Oh my gee. I haven't been here in YEARS! And what do I post? Kung Fu Panda. For you just reading this, my list of other written stories are far from this! Haha.

**D i s c l a i m e r**: Any recognizeable characters do not belong to me, nor does Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2 or any related works save for this fic of course. I'm just playin' with the characters and I'll put them back when I'm done :)

Anyway! I have seen the second movie just twice, so if I'm missing anything or anyone is OOC, forgive me -_- . I do intend to see the movie again for some more character things as well as locations and other details of the like. This fic does contain some **_SPOILERS_**. Un-beta-ed.

Enjoi~

* * *

><p>[<strong>Ch. I<strong>]  
>1896<p>

A small gasp filled the otherwise silent room. Everything was still. There was nothing around him. Nothing moving. Nothing but empty space and hollow silence. No. Outside. Birds were singing. Warmth brushed over his face as the wind blew through a tree outside the window, causing the leaves to make way for the afternoon sunlight.

It was peaceful.

Being dead was.

He deeply inhaled the smell of of the crisp air around him. He had thought being dead for him would be terrible and a painful escape for what he did to the-

"Hey! Are you awake?"

**PANDA**?

Shen's ruby eyes flew open and he came face to face with that tubby panda.

"Oh hey...you're awake-"

"I am now," the Lord muttered and the Dragon warrior noticed the comment and sat back and pressed his paws together nervously.

"Sorry, I heard you breathing and thought you were...y'know-"

"Awake."

Suddenly the panda's face tightened and his head drew back and he said, "are you gonna keep cutting me off? I mean I know you might just be cranky after-"

"after what?"

"Cut it out will ya?" The bear heaved a calming sigh and mumbled 'inner peace' a few times before smiling. "Mantis and Viper patched you up after...well after you got...smashed."

The peacock said nothing but turned his gaze from the ridiculous creature to the ceiling. He remembered being crumbled under the weight of his cannon. The Dragon Warrior had used a skill, a skill that he had never seen before, to deflect the cannon balls. Then...oh yes...he remembered, the warrior spoke to him...taking the hero's path...trying to get him to change his ways. There was no chance for him and he knew that, after everything he had done. His destiny had come to fruit like the Old Goat had said, and that in itself was annoying enough. Yes, he remembered still trying to change the tide and attacking but nothing he could do would phase the fat panda and before he knew it...there was the sound of wood straining and soon enough the largest cannon began to lean. He could have moved out of the way, perhaps even pushed the Dragon Warrior into the way, but there was no point anymore. His army of wolves was gone, diminished in numbers and he lacked firepower. Yes...this was how it would end. His eyes closed and-

"Hey-uh...are you going back to sleep?"

Lord Shen managed not to show his surprise, being startled out of his memory and into the now. A sigh fell from his beak as he moved to sit up.

"Oh! I wouldn't do that If I were you!"

"And why not," Shen asked flatly with no intent of hearing the reason. The panda had one paw over his muzzle and the other was out stretched in the air in a half hearted attempt to keep the peacock down but before he could do anything, the bird froze. He then twitched and spasmed before falling back to the ground unconscious.

"Oh man..." Po leaned over the smaller creature and started taping on the ends of the many acupuncture needles in the birds body and his head snapped to the left as the door flew open.

Tigress, Shifu and Crane stood there looking utterly surprised.

"Hey guys," Po said weakly with a small smile.

"What did you do?" Shifu shook his head as he walked over to Shen.

"Po..." Tigress sighed as she tilted her head, but remained in the doorway.

"Did you kill him?" Crane's tone was indifferent as he walked in the room as well.

"I tried to tell-"

"He's not dead...just stunned," the red panda announced as he flicked one of the needles that was protruding from the peacock's belly. Instantly the albino's eyes flew open wide and he gasped for air. "There."

"What did you do to me you stupid fat panda!" Shen was nearly hysterical.

The shout bounced off the walls and Po flinched as he fumbled over himself to formulate and answer.

"I-I...I was just..."

"What he did was save your life," Tigress said sternly, coming to Po's defense.

Shen didn't seem phased by the statement as he was too wrapped in rage to even listen to her.

"I think you've made a fast recovery," Shifu mumbled as he jumped over the laying form and began plucking the needles from his body. After the initial pull Shen remained motionless and just focused on regulating his breathing. "There..."

The red panda walked past Tigress who followed him down the hall and back outside to the training grounds.

"Are you feeling better?" The panda's tone was kind and gentle. It was clear he was bent on trying to finish what he started before Shen was trying to meet his own end.

"Po..." Crane's soft voice caused the Dragon Warrior to turn. Shen was none too interested in what they were doing and he made that clear when he turned his head to the wall.

It was after a few seconds that someone moved and walked to the door and slid it shut behind them. Great, he was alone with the panda...again.

"He's not a bad guy once you get to know him..."

The panda had not stayed? Then who? Shen fought with himself before deciding to turn his eyes to the speaker. Ruby locked with brown before he glared.

"He was just trying to help," he noted with a small shrug. It was clear that this bird had his share of stories that involved the panda and it showed when he looked to the ground and his eyes grew distant.

Shen took this time to attempt to sit up again. Unfortunately his wings felt like jelly and he fell back onto his back with a small growl.

"Careful," Crane warned with a small laugh as he extended a wing to help the other.

"I don't need you help!" His hiss was threatening and a clear warning.

The Master rolled his eyes and pulled his wing back to the side of his body and took a small step back, "okay..."

Again Shen attempted to sit up. Again, he fell to his back.

Crane continued to watch him and he almost felt sorry for the other, even if he tried to take over China.

Another grunt filled the room and the white peacock fell back to the mat he was laying on. His head was starting to hurt and he knew he was agitating his wounds, but there was no way he was going to look weak in front of the stupid bird that insisted on standing there.

"Will you just leave," he shouted as he shifted to try to heave himself up again. His wings trembled as his back came up off the ground and his breath began to come out in shallow pants. He couldn't do it! His wings were sore and felt shattered. His eyes closed as he allowed himself to fall back. A loud thunk echoed throughout the room and he remained laying there.

"Are you done?"

He opened his eyes again and glared at the bird standing over him.

"Quite."

"Good...that was getting kinda...sad," he pointed out and he walked closer and shifted his foot under Shen's back.

"_Don't _touch me!"

"Relax," Crane sighed as he sat the peacock up and held his wing out for the other to take to get him on his feet.

Red eyes just continued to glare. There was no way he was accepting his help.

"You can lay in here all day if you want," he said with a tilt of his head, "It doesn't matter to me. Shifu just thought that after almost three weeks that you'd want to get out of this room."

"What?" Shen's eyes were wide with surprise as he stared up at the other. Almost three weeks? No. No. He was there just yesterday, fighting with that over grown teddy bear and attempting to take over the land that belong to him.

"Yeah, rise and shine sleeping beauty," Crane said as he took it upon himself to hoist the other bird to his feet.

Shen still stood in surprise, but when the crane looked at him with amusement, he schooled his features and looked down to his unresponsive wings and-

"Where is my robe?"

The peacock's eyes remained on his unclothed form, not daring to meet eyes with the only other body in the room.

"Here."

He lifted his eyes to see a cotton robe that was definitely not his crisp white silk robe.

"_My _robe," he said levelly, "where is it?"

"It was pretty ruined and Po didn't think you would want it, so he found you this," the bird said in a calm matter of fact.

"Whatever," Shen said hastily as he snatched the robe and quickly put it on. Once it was was on the peacock shifted his weight and caught sight of the metal coverings over his feet beside the pooling blanket on the ground. His eyes narrowed. They were intact still but they were scorched and blackened. No matter, he would get them replaced.

"Okaaay," the crane said slowly, hoping to draw the white bird out of his thoughts, "we should go."

Even fully clothed, he wasn't going to leap at the chance of leaving with the other bird, in fact, he just settled with his glare. It was clear that they were not worried about him attacking them, but why should they be?

"Hey..." the bird's tone was soft as he took a step closer.

"_Stay away from me_!"

"Um...okay..."

The albino bird felt a bit helpless. He knew if he tried to leave that he wouldn't get very far, especially with his wing. No. He would have to gain his strength back and then attempt and escape. Yes. That was perfect.

"Bird!"

Crane turned from the door that he was about to open back to their resident guest. He folded his wings back to his sides and waited.

"What is your name?"

"Crane," he said simply.

"Ah...Crane. I will go with you, but I want a new robe," he announced as he walked over to the slightly taller bird and slid the door open.

His eyes flew open wide before he gained his composure again and glared at the large panda that was standing before him.

"Hey guys...I was just...checking on you," Po announced with an attempted grin. It was painfully obvious that he had been in the hall the entire time.

"I seriously doubt that panda," Shen said before he made his way down the hall, following the sounds of the other warrior's training outside.

_Clank_..._Clank_..._Clank_..._Clank_..._Clank_..._Clank_...

Crane looked at Po with slight annoyance before his features softened. He knew the bear meant no harm, and that he was worried about Shen.

"Hey."

Crane looked to the taller warrior, "what?"

"Why is he walking so slow?"

Brown eyes blinked then looked back to the peacock making his way down the hall.  
>It was true.<br>He was walking rather slow.

"I don't know, maybe-"

"I'm _injured_...not deaf," Shen called as he continued walking.

Po gave a weak laugh and Crane just shook his head and followed the albino bird out with The Dragon Warrior following close behind.


	2. Chapter II pt I

**A / N**: I know that a male peacock's tail feathers are called a train. . .but it just fit funny in a sentance, so I didn't use it XD Also. . .I guess line breaks are scene changes? I don't know, you tell me [good/bad]. . .you're reading with fresh eyes as opposed to reading the same thing nearly 40 times 8O Minor...very minor changes in spelling...capitalization actually (thank you Yoyo), and a tweaked story summary that I hope is a little better :]

**D i s c l a i m e r**: Any recognizable characters do not belong to me, nor does Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2 or any related works save for this fic of course. I'm just playin' with the characters and I'll put them back when I'm done :)

**R e v i e w s**: A n o n. . ._A N O N_! I can't reply to you y'know . And I gotta try to reply to everyone ;P  
><span>Comrade<span>: My first reviewer! I'm glad you thought it was a great start! I wasn't sure where to start, so I'm glad you like it! I'm glad you liked that wording there for Shen and! Wait no more...chapter II is here, I hope you like it.  
><span>WiseScholar<span>: I'm glad you thought the first chapter was good. Chapter II is here, so hopefully it's as good? ^^;  
><span>Renny<span>: Moar for you! Haha. I'm glad you thought everyone was in character AND! I'm glad the humor is coming through, I honestly write it out like I see it playing out in my head, so hopefully that is kept up in this and future chapters.  
><span>Masha<span>: Again, I'm glad you thought it was good and hopefully chapter II is just as good. You laughed? Good! That's what I was aiming for! So Thanks for noting that :D Wait no more...as I had to use Google translator, lol. Thanks!

**Reviewing means a lot guys, so thanks again to EVERYONE. You've all been a _BIG_ help.. .. ..  
>Hopefully everyone is still in character and your reviews didn't go to my head ^^;<br>**

This fic does contain some **_SPOILERS_**.  
>Un-beta-ed.<p>

Enjoi~

* * *

><p>[<strong>Ch. II <em>pt.<em> I**]  
>2177<p>

The afternoon sun was hanging lower in the sky now and still...Shen had not moved. Po had been the only one to attempt to coax him out of his meditation, and by coax, Shen obviously meant annoying banter and obnoxious agitation.

Was there nothing subtle about the fat panda? It was a wonder how he managed to get past his wolves in the city. Still, the albino peacock remained watching the five, half in and half out of his meditating state of mind. He was in no hurry to cut himself down, in fact, he was rather opposed to facing his faults and chose to focus in on the faults of the warriors that were training in the center of the court yard.

Mantis, or so someone had called him. The small insect was quick. No. At first glance he appeared to be very fast, arguably the fastest of them all, but upon closer inspection and once Shen's eyes were trained, after a few seconds, he was easily able to follow the bug. What made him appear quick was his size. Now he could see why that would have stumped those stupid canines.

Then to the female tiger. He hadn't caught her name and he didn't care to. She was strong and agile. Perfect practiced stances and great execution. Even so, there were holes in her defences. Not obvious, but they were there.

Red eyes move across the court yard and spotted Crane and the small bear from earlier. The tall bird had his head cocked and the smaller creature was making smooth and careful gestures with his hands. Shen cared not for what they were talking about and instead turned back to breaking down the warriors kung fu. This information he was gathering would be vital for an escape.

"Are you gonna stand here all day?"

Shen's eye twitched but he managed to keep his head forward, refusing to look at the stupid warrior to his right.

"As opposed to what, _Panda_?"

The peacock's tone was icy and calculated and Po took notice and internally winced. He really was trying to be nice and welcome the Lord, to just help him. The Dragon Warrior sat down on the step that Shen was perched upon and soon enough the moment passed. There was no way he was going to give up. There was good in Shen, he just knew it!

"Well to training with us...we can use another sparring partner..."

"I-" he cut himself short. He wanted to say 'I don't need to train'...that his skills were more superior...but-no. He was **better** than them. He didn't **need** to train.

"Ooor you can just stand here, but I mean...that's gotta be boring right? It's not like you're gonna-"

"Shut. Up. Panda!" Shen finally turned to the Dragon Warrior and his tone was a low hiss. Dangerous and another warning he was sure that the other would not heed.

"Shut-what? Now? But I'm...trying to talk to you," Po tried as he shifted his eyes.

The albino bird's eyes turned to slits and he nearly lunged at the tubby bear if not for something holding him back at the collar of his robe. Shen whipped around to see Crane standing behind him with a bothered look. No...that was disappointment. Yes. Shen knew that look.

"Po, Shifu needs you," Crane said, keeping his gaze on the bird in front of him a few moments before looking to said Warrior.

"Um, okay," Po fumbled a bit, when Shen turned he hit the panda's legs with his long tail feathers. "O-one sec I'm just-"

Shen sighed and turned a bit so his long tail feathers were out of the way. Unfortunately the small motion was enough to distract Po and the panda was sent tumbling down five steps to the floor.

Crane shook his head and gave a small smile as the Dragon Warrior quickly righted himself and walked over to the red panda that was not too far from them.

"How can you stand him?"

The question pulled Crane from his thoughts and he blinked in surprise. He was expecting to be yelled at by the other bird at least, but not a _calm_ question. The idea that Po was trying to play out was actually starting to seem even more possible now.

When they had moved the giant cannon to make sure Shen was dead they found that he wasn't. He was alive! Barely, but he was breathing. Po insisted they bring him back to the palace so he can heal. Despite a lot of protest, Shen was brought with them and the Soothsayer had over seen his recovery with Po. The goat had gone two nights ago saying something about 'luck'. Or at least...that's what Po was saying, before she all but disappeared. Crane at the time wasn't too keen on the idea of keeping a dangerous enemy in such close quarters, but now...he was finally seeing a glimmer of hope. And being the creature he was, he didn't want to fight Shen anymore, he just wanted them all to find peace together.

"Heh, well...he's a character," Crane started, trying to find the right words to describe Po but coming up a bit short, "you just learn to live with him".

The two birds stood in silence a while longer before Crane spoke up again. It was a bit...weird talking to Shen like this. As opposed to before he was yelling so much, and now he was hardly saying anything. He was so calm.

"We're having dinner soon...I think you should come eat with us," he offered with a warm smile.

Crane was sure that if he tried Po's noodles that the peacock would be even more comfortable living with them. It wasn't just eating anymore. Ever since Po came, eating food itself has been a team bonding experience. It seemed silly now that he thought about it but when he remembered the time the Dragon Warrior was imitating Master Shifu and when he was trying to hold an insane amount of bean buns in his mouth. Moments like that brought them closer as a team.

"I'll pass," Shen stated evenly as he turned his gaze away from the other bird. There was no chance that he was going to eat with them. It was clear that they didn't trust him. Not that they needed to anyway. He didn't care what they thought of him.

"You really should eat though."

"I'm quite fine," he pressed before he walked down the steps, focused on putting more space between himself and the other bird. There was something about him that Shen didn't like and he wasn't sure what it was...just...an unsettling feeling that didn't sit well with him at all.

* * *

><p>Crickets filled his ears as he soaked up the moonlight. It was a warm night and Shen didn't mind it. He had walked some distance behind the palace to stretch his legs and he knew after a few minutes of walking that he really had been immobile for some time as his legs seemed a bit weak. Who was he kidding? His entire body was weak and sore. No matter...soon he would be back to his full strength and he would leave. He would leave and form a new army and kill that stupid panda once and for all. Yes. The Soothsayer would have no part in this at all.<p>

Somewhere in the back of Shen's mind he remembered that goat when he was a peachick. He loved watching her predict the future with her bowl. The colors and the shapes she conjured were fascinating. He would never admit it, but Shen still enjoyed the art of fortune telling. To a point. He liked the mysticism and curiosity, but he did not like _lies_.

The white peacock continued walking down the stone path. He didn't know where it lead but he wasn't too concerned about that, all he wanted was some time alone.

Which lasted a whole of what felt like twenty minutes before there was a loud laughter coming from the top of the hill in the palace. Shen's attention went from the path he was on to the building...to a small window that was lit up. _Warm_, glowing. His beak parted slightly and his eyes grew..._longing_. The look was quickly wiped away, as if Shen had realized his own yearning. He shook his head and continued walking, and to avoid being found by the panda, he headed back to the palace grounds and to the sleeping area from before.

The walk was not too far, but in the time it took him to get back into the courtyard, the laughter had died down and everything was silent. A wave of suspicion washed over the albino bird as he slowly walked to the building he woke up in. The hall was quiet and no candles were lit. He wasn't even sure if anyone was asleep either. Perhaps they were staging an ambush.

On instinct, Shen moved to draw his blades only to realize that he did not have them. He was _defenseless_. Ruby eyes scanned every door when he made it inside before he slowly began walking down the hall that prior this moment seemed so short.

Each step he took was silent save for the soft clink of his mental foot covers. Every step brought him closer to the door that he remembered as the room he was recovering in, but before he could even manage to get his leg up to open the door, another one flew open behind him.

"Shen!" The whisper was urgent and surprised.

Said peacock was currently practically pressed against the paper door trying to keep his thundering heart in his chest.

"Shut. Up. Panda!" He ground out before turning back to the door before anyone else showed up.

"Wait don't go in ther-"

Shen opened the door and quickly shut it behind him.

**Finally**. Yes, the short walk he took was a relief, but he was tired and exhausted. A good rest was what he truely needed.

"...Shen?"

The peacock's eyes flew to the direction of the speaker and when his eyes adjusted to the dark he spotted the bird, Crane. He was shifting his wing so he could look at the other as he placed his foot to the ground.

"What are _you_ doing here," Shen asked as he looked to his right and then to his left to make sure there were no other surprise guests in the room.

"This is...my room," Crane pointed out softly with a tilt of his head.

"What? No. Where is the room that I was in earlier? Is this not it?"

The other bird in the center of the room allowed Shen a moment to process his thoughts and to his surprise, for once...all his emotions were clear, revealed in the moonlight. He was surprised, embarrassed and even if he was angry at the same time, Crane knew this was a start.

"_Fine_," the albino peacock said as he finally spotted the mat he had rested on and made his way over to it.

He could feel Crane's eyes on him the entire time and he was sure the warrior was waiting for him to do something, and to solidify his decision Shen sat down. The mat was not what he was accustomed to. It was hard and uncomfortable, but he was sure he would find something more suitable for himself tomorrow. For now though, Shen sighed and turned his neck to rest his head on his back beneath his folded wings.

Crane looked at the white form on the ground and watched him for a few moments longer before bringing his leg back up and resting his head on his back and buried beneath his wing.

Neither bird was asleep, but neither spoke either. The Furious Five warrior breathed in the smell of his feathers as he remained still on one leg. He was in no way listening for Shen to make a move to attack him. The idea was...well it was stupid. The Dragon warrior wasn't far and the other four were in close quarters, there was no way an attack would be a good idea. Crane was just listening to the night outside the window. Going back to sleep wasn't going to be an option anytime soon as he was awake thanks to the Lord that was in his room with him. Not that he really minded because the fact that he was not being attacked or even yelled at was a good thing. It told him that either Shen was slowly starting to make progess...or he was asleep. The latter of the two was the least likely because just as a cricket outside quieted...the peacock's stomach _growled_.

The sound made Crane's wings give a twitch in surprise before he lifted his head to look that the other.

"Yoooou...hungry?"


	3. Chapter II pt II

**A / N**: I like when you guys catch my mistakes! Thanks for the tip off on the 'Shen' vs. 'She' thing ^^; _How embarrassing_! Please forgive errors as I don't have a beta, but if you happen to point them out, I'll try to get it fixed ASAP! Anyway! I do hope you guys checkout my profile for info that may/may not effect my update speed. If you're not hard pressed for updates, then nevermind, if you're curious, then it's there :] You can thank Megamind for this update! I saw it for the first time today at the theater and David Cross (Minion) was in it and as you may (or may not) know, he also voices Crane, so I was like...it's a sign. Lol. Moving on.

**D i s c l a i m e r**: Any recognizable characters do not belong to me, nor does Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2 or any related works save for this fic of course. I'm just playin' with the characters and I'll put them back when I'm done :)

**R e v i e w s**: A n o n. . ._A N O N_! I can't reply to y ou y'know . And I gotta try to reply to everyone ;P  
><span>Comrade<span>: That laugh is not creepy XD And I hope the rest was to your liking! I've finally had the chance to write more, and here it is!  
>P.S. You either sit and refresh for an update or you have new chapter alerts in your head :P<br>Masha: Awesome, for a KFP fic is awesome! Don't make fun of my errors! They're embarrassing D: BUT if it didn't spoil the fic then I'm a happy camper :3 Oh, no, no, I didn't mean to be rude D; The Russian is cool! :D I'm just having fun translating your Russian text is all :] следующей части здесь и - вы будете видеть (Did that translate right? ^^; )  
><span>Charlie B. Barkin<span>: I'm glad you thought the end was funny! It IS KFP, so I do want to keep the humor! I will keep updating! As for the T-rating. I don't mind the change, but I looked it all up and K+ seemed more appropriate? Let me know?  
><span>WiseScholar<span>: It's as good? Aw sheesh...that's a relief! I was nervous that I was going to get comfortable and loose something in the second chapter :X No, NO! Thank YOU for taking the time to review! I'm mentioning you becuase I can't reply via PM ^^;  
>(<em>I've been busy, so If I didn't reply to your review via PM I can if you want, let me know<em>?)

**Again, reviewing means a lot guys, so thanks again to EVERYONE. You've all been a _BIG_ help.. .. ..  
>I still hope everyone is in character!<strong>

This fic does contain some **_SPOILERS_**.  
><strong><em><span>Un-beta-ed<span>_**.

Enjoi~

* * *

><p>[<strong>Ch. II <em>pt.<em> II**]  
>197o<p>

As much as he didn't want to admit it, Shen was very hungry. If the crane was right then he hadn't eaten for about three weeks. It was enough for a creature his size to die, but he had gone more than a few weeks at a time without food for his training, and he was sure they were having him drink some foul liquid that was meant to speed up the healing process. The medicinal drink was not enough to satisfy one's hunger, but enough sustenance to keep them alive until they were able to eat proper food.

Which lead him to his current predicament.

"We have vegetables...some lettuce...radishes, um, we have some bean buns, left over soup, some of Monkey's cookies too...I think they're stale...never mind..."

The other bird continued on but Shen remained in the doorway only half paying attention to him.

It had been too long since the enemy had turned their back on him. Too long since another was...comfortable around him. This made him far more unsettled than he originally had been.

"Anything you wanna eat," Crane asked as he turned his head to look at the bird across the room.

"Uh..." Shen was at a loss for words. He had not been paying attention at all. "Um, I-"

"How about a bean bun? Po loves them," the bird gave a fond chuckle, "they're surprisingly good!"

The albino peacock cocked his head in curiosity when Crane reached up and grabbed a bowl from the counter and turned to set it down on the table. The small buns looked a bit like dumplings but in honesty, like nothing he had ever seen before.

"You can try one," Crane encouraged as he took one for himself.

Shen blinked then slowly made his way to the other side of the table across from the other bird and stretched his right wing out to take one of the bean buns. Once he had it he looked it over and he felt like his company was going to say something so he looked up only to see the other watching him. His eyes narrowed before darting back down to the food he was holding before he brought it to his beak and took a bite.

_Odd_.

Yes. It was an odd taste that Shen was going to spit out any second but suddenly...it became sweet. It was such an odd transition that the albino bird took another peck at the bun and quickly tilted his head back a bit and swallowed it.

"How do you like it," the other asked once he swallowed down his own food.

"It's...interesting," the peacock said a bit distant as he looked at the bun.

"Shen..."

At the sound of his name, the bird looked up and nearly gasped at the look the other was wearing. Crane was..._smiling_. At him!

"You can have more if you want," he offered before he went back to eating.

Shen on the other hand had not quite recovered yet. Crane had smiled at him. But why? There was nothing happy about this. Yes. There was nothing to be happy about. He was crippled and stuck taking charity from his enemies.

There was nothing to smile about.

For some reason though, he kept this to himself and just took another bite. He did have half a mind to walk out and go back to sleep, but he was far too hungry to do anything other than stay where he was and eat until he was satiated. When he was, Shen went to the sink to clean himself up a bit because the bean buns had left some oil on his feathers. Of course he noticed that when he was done, Crane had not taken the time to clean himself and for a second, he wondered why. Then he quickly reminded himself that he didn't care and shook the water off his feathers.

The walk back to the room was quiet for the most part and the soft clinks of Shen's foot coverings were the only sounds between them.

"Why do you wear those?" Crane's question was soft. The peacock was unsure if this was simply because he didn't want to wake the others or because he was hesitant in asking in the first place.

Shen glanced over to the other then turned his eyes back to the hall. He did not need to answer that. He was sure the answer would lead to an awkward silence or more annoying questions.

"...Never mind," he mumbled with a small smile. It was a hopeful smile that one of these days, that Shen would open up to him and answer his question.

* * *

><p>When morning came Shen's ruby eyes slowly opened to his feathers so close to his face and he gave a soft sigh. His eyes closed again and he shifted a bit on his feet. He wasn't tired still but he was warm, he felt like he was alone and for a moment, it was peaceful.<p>

"Crane!"

"Yes Po?"

"Is Shen awake?"

"No Po...y'know...he needs to rest, get his strength back. I think you should let him sleep."

"But I wanna show him something awesome-"

"Your action figure collection?"

"Whaaaaat? What, no..."

"Well-"

"Does he plan on sleeping _all_ day?" This voice was different and Shen sighed again and buried his beak into the soft feathers on his back, clinging to his solitude.

"I hope not. I got something awsome to show him-!"

"Your action figure collection?"

"Whaaaaat? No Mantis...no way," the large Panda's tone was defeated and unsure, weak. It was clear he was embarrassed of this and Shen remembered the figure he had used to trick him when they had first met face to face.

"I see Lord Shen is still asleep."

**Another**?

The albino peacock had enough.

Shen got to his feet and flattened his robe before walking to the door.

"Yeah..." Po mumbled, "I wanted to show him something awesome...and no, it's not my action figures."

"Oh well-"

The door sliding open cut the speaker off and Shen held his feathers pressed against the frame as he glared at them; Po, Mantis, the small panda, and Crane.

"I've decided to get up so you _all_ don't show up at my door," the bird said sternly with an air of annoyance.

"_Your_ door...?" Crane's voice was meek as he looked at Shen and the others.

"Yes, _my_ door, now, where was I? Ah, yes," Shen quickly looked to them all before he took a step toward Po, not missing how Mantis and the small Panda stiffened. "I will not waste any more time on you Panda," he tone was dripping with venom and his glare wasn't any kinder.

Shifu watched Po's glow dim. It was clear that his student was excited about showing Shen something, and now that the peacock made it clear that he would have no part in it, the Dragon Warrior wasn't so excited. Still, Po had to have known that Shen would not jump at the offer.

"But you don't even know what it is," Po tried. His arms had fallen to his sides before he gestured outside. "It's only gonna take a while, maybe more-"

"I don't wan-" Shen was cut off by the smaller panda.

"Perhaps our guest needs to eat first Po, maybe then he will listen to you," the creature rose a brow and gave Shen a knowing smirk.

He was hungry.

"Oh! You need to eat, I'll make some noodles!" The Dragon Warrior grinned and turned to his mentor and quickly bowed, "thanks Master Shifu," before he made his way down the hall and squeaking a few floor boards along the way.

Shifu, as Po called him, gave Mantis and Crane a glance before the two walked down the hall behind their black and white friend. Now, left alone, the peacock turned his attention to the red panda with mild interest. He had never spoken with him before, only seen him a few times, so he was unsure what to expect, but an attack was likely.

"Shen, I did not agree with Po bringing you here," Shifu paused and Shen parted his beak to interject, but the other was faster, "but, he _is_ the Dragon Warrior...and persistent," green eyes looked away as if he was speaking to himself, "very annoying and determined as if no matter how many times you say 'no', he keeps coming back and-"

"I get it," Shen pointed out with a roll of his eyes.

"What I'm trying to say is, that after he saved you...the least you can do, is hear him out."

The peacock's head cocked slightly, as if trying to figure the red panda out. What was he trying to do? What was there to gain from having him deal with that Panda?

"Very well," he finally said. The way Shen saw it, he was not giving in or doing what the small mammal wanted, but he was doing this on his own accord. Shifu had very little influence on his decision because he knew that the Panda would not stop unless he got his way one way or another.

"Good, now let's eat," Shifu gave a small smile before he started walking down the hall.

Shen remained where he was and watched the other creature and he stopped at the end of the hall.

"Are you coming?"

The albino bird didn't answer, only held his head high, folded his wings over one another in his sleeves and followed after Shifu.

* * *

><p>"Po, you don't have to do this," a female voice reached his ears and Shen blinked. He remembered the female tiger and a female snake. Which of the two was speaking, he did not know.<p>

"_Don't_do it Po!" Another voice he did not recognize.

The speakers are not what interested him, but what they were saying was. Was the Panda trying to kill himself? Oh how Shen wished he was. Even if this was not the case, the peacock's heart sped up and his eyes grew a bit wider as he and Shifu drew closer to the kitchen area.

"Po! **NO**!"

Shen whipped his head around the corner to see the Dragon Warrior with two bowls of soup in his hand and a third before him on the table.

"You guys don't think I can? Watch..._this_!"

The albino bird's eye twitched and his beak parted as the warrior that defeated him not but three weeks ago stood in the kitchen and began to _juggle_ full bowls of soup.

"Ha! Ha!" Po's large and amused eyes caught Shen's surprised look, "haha!" The warrior grinned at him before he served the dish. With the flick of his wrist, Po flung a bowl before Mantis, one before Crane and one at the end of the table. The panda smiled at him then looked down to the bowl, then back to him with a subtle nod before he turned around and got more bowls ready.

This bowl...was his.

"Go on," Shifu urged as he held out his paw toward the bowl with steam steadily rising from it.

Shen remained watching the red panda before he walked over to the table and picked up the chopsticks that were lying beside it. He looked to the warriors at the table. The monkey was giving him a thumbs up and smiling with a nod, Mantis was...well he was more or less in the bowl and Crane was smiling. The peacock turned back to his meal.

"Enjoy Shen," Po said as he handed a bowl to the female tiger and to the female snake.

Said peacock looked back to the bowl, and picked up some noodles then...he took a bite.


	4. Chapter III

**A / N**: Alright so I literally just typed this entire begining and the web page closed aaand this site has no auto-save. So I'm sad ;o; BUT IN OTHER NEWS! **CHAPTER III**! Huzzah! So Good new or bad news first (Remember, there is no good or bad, just news) so, first thing's first! This chapter is shorter than I wanted. I intended on making it longer but I was on a roll with it that I ended up getting to the content that I had written for later and I didn't want to do that. SO I split it up. No, it's not a part I and II, I've made it into two different chapters. Great thing is: **_Chapter IV is basically finished_**, so I have **no** excuse for a late update. ALSO: Note that the crest I refer to in this chapter at the feathers on the back of Shen's head. So you know. If you didn't know already. AND I used 'train', lol. So hopefully it doesn't read weird. Do you guys actually read this part? XD

**D i s c l a i m e r**: Any recognizable characters do not belong to me, nor does Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2 or any related works save for this fic of course. I'm just playin' with the characters and I'll put them back when I'm done :)

**R e v i e w s**: A n o n. . ._A N O N_! I can't reply to y ou y'know . And I gotta try to reply to everyone ;P  
><span>Comrade<span>: We do meet! AGAIN! Lulz. Oh wow...seriously? XD Well...not an idiot I'm sure, just not thinking outside the box :]  
><span>Charlie B. Barkin<span>: (Have I ever told you how much I used to LOVE watching All Dogs Go to Heaven when I was a kid?) Anyway, T it is then. I might as well now that I realize that I'll have to change it eventually, so thanks for the note. And yes! Shen can be persistant, buuuuut he's just a hungry birdie :3 Crane is nice, but some of the others are too :] And Po's not so stupid...he's just...smart...in a not so...smart way...yeah XD  
><span>WiseScholar<span>: 'Excellent'? No way ^^; You did? You must be in my head O_o But I had to include the noodles eventually because, I have to agree, I wanna try them too :D Ah, thank you! And It's just me taking my time because I'm trying to keep everyone in character. if I didn't...well...my story would have been a boring one shot**. **And yes, Crane is glad to see a change in Shen :]  
><span>Dizzy<span>: No way. I'm sure you've read better, lol ^^; I aim for well written, so I'll take that compliment. Oh wow...thanks...I guess? No judging books by their cover man, no bueno :p So I'm glad I could prove that wrong and surprise you. I see what you mean and yes, he has softened. I mean...how can anyone be around Po and not be changed for the better, I mean look at Tigress in the second film, she's changed a lot. So yes, Crane has changed and as for being too nice...well...maybe there's a reason for that. I ain't _just_ fic writtin' here :p Dig a bit deeper.  
><span>Masha<span>: Я рад, что тебе нравится это! Ах, Кран улыбается, потому что он видит мягкую сторону Шен :D Может быть? Мы увидим скоро ;] Было бы сделать Шэнь так счастлив, если Po покончил с собой! Фигура Шен действие гениально! Я собираюсь работать, что в моем фик! Спасибо! И ... главе 3 находится здесь! Наслаждайтесь. Russian is very neat! I enjoyed using Google translator to reply to you! X]  
><span>Battleshiplid<span>: A little slow? Well...I'm not gonna argue, keeping everyone in character makes it happen, lol, so it is slow BUT the ball is rolling, and that's good enough for me. I'm glad you're enjoying it though :D And Update soon? Well here ya go! Enjoy.

**Again, reviewing means a lot guys, so thanks again to EVERYONE. You've all been a _BIG_ help.. .. ..  
>Again, again, I still hope everyone is in character!<br>(As a side note I've realized that I haven't recognized the peeps that are being _sneaky_ and favoriting! Well guess what! I SEE YOU GUIZ! Har har. So thank you.)**

This fic does contain some **_SPOILERS_**.  
><strong><em><span>Un-beta-ed<span>_**.

Enjoi~

* * *

><p>[<strong>Ch. III<strong>]  
>1847<p>

The duration of his time spent walking was focused almost completely on the experience he had back in the kitchen on the palace grounds. The noodles he had eaten were..._amazing_ to say the least. No that he admitted this to anyone, but then again he didn't really have to say anything as the warriors around him were vocal enough as to his reaction. The primate was the loudest, second only to Po himself. Speaking of the Dragon Warrior...

"...and then, and then I was like 'Aiyah!' and then he was all 'you talkin' to me', and I was like" the panda's voice trailed off, "hey Shen, are you paying attention?"

The albino peacock turned his head from the steep cliff on his left, from the idea that he could easily push the warrior over and watch as he died_ for good_, and he brought his eyes forward. Po was walking backwards this whole time and telling him, very animatedly, about his battles in the past. Of course he was not paying attention. He was too wrapped up in the fact that the warrior brought him this far after he woke up from recovery and he still wasn't fully healed.

"Where are we going Panda?" Shen was willing to see what the other wanted to show him, but he was not prepared or estatic about this taking any longer than it needed to.

"Oh! We're almost there," Po assured with a nod as he turned and continued walking.

By 'almost' Po meant longer than Shen had originally thought. When they finally did arrive they came to a lush area that was littered with rocks. A few steps a head of them sat a small lake.

Curious, Shen walked over to the water and peered over the edge to see his refelction.

"The Pool of Sacred Tears. Master Shifu says that this is where Kung Fu was born," Po said softly as he came to the bird's side and looked into the water with a small smile.

There was a moment of silence before Shen spoke. "_This_...is what you wanted to show me?"

He wasn't grateful. Why would he be? He just walked over a thousand feet up a mountain to get to a dirty pool of water. What a waste of time.

Ruby eyes glared into the pool, at Po's refelcetion before he turned and began walking away.

"W-wait!"

Po quickly turned, but Shen didn't stop walking and the panda's brows pulled together. His paws clenched before he spoke again.

"At least here me out Shen!"

This stopped the peacock.

Po was just a stupid panda in his eyes but for a second he sensed genuine frustration, no, no..._perserverance_. It was interesting. Interesting enough that he turned his head to see the creature.

Green eyes were bright with determination and his stance was firm.

_Yes_, this was interesting.

"Very well, Panda. I've seen your little puddle...what more do you want?"

"Oh yeah!" The tubby warrior quickly dropped his stance and shifted into another. He moved his paws with such fluidity before they stopped and he smiled.

"It's a technique to find inner peace, Shifu says he took years to master it, but I think you'll get it quick," Po explained, his smile still plastered on his face...as if his smile alone would get the peacock to agree with him.

"...I do not need this." He did. "It will be a waste...a dead end!"

Shen's tail feathers twitched and he instantly remembered the ship. Before he was...crushed. The panda had essentially attempted to tell him then what he was trying to tell now.

"No Shen," Po seemed hurt by the albino birds exclaimation, "it's _not_ a waste!" The warrior was not yelling but empasizing how important this technique was, not only to him but the creature before him as well. "You asked me before how I did it," Po paused, as if he was collecting his thoughts, "how I...was able to beat you."

Ruby eyes grew a bit more interested as the bird turned to fully face the other. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he was still curious. If he could use the panda's skill against him, then he would change his own destiny.

"I...I forgave you Shen," Po finally said, "for everything. _I forgive you_."

The peacock's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

Po...forgave him. For destroying an entire village. Making him an orphan. Making him alone and without his family.

He was..._forgiven_.

His beak parted and the Dragon Warrior strained to hear him, "I..." Shen paused, his crest wilted and he spoke up as his gaze dropped to the ground, "I didn-"

"Po!"

Shen's heart nearly popped and his eyes grew wide and unfocused. _What_ was he about to say?

"Theives are raiding the Artist's village," the tiger informed from her perch on a nearby rock.

The panda narrowed his eyes and grinned, "danger!" With a look of surprise to Shen, Po hurried over to him, which caused said peacock to bring his attention back to now and for a second he thought he would be attacked but the warrior quickly bowed and spoke, "thank you for your time Lord Shen." He then proceeded toward the female tiger, "C'mon Tigress, woohoo!"

However, Tigress didn't move when the Dragon Warrior passed her, but kept her burning eyes on Shen a moment longer before she lept from the rock.

Then the two were gone.

Lord Shen stood in place for several moments longer before he shook his head and walked back to the sacred pool where he sat down on the cool grass. He wasn't in much of a rush to go back to the palace, not only that but he needed to rest. His legs were sore, but his wings were a but better than they were the previous day and he knew he would be feeling perfectly healthy in a matter of days. Yes, Then he would make his move.

* * *

><p>Clangs and the sound of wind being cut echoed through the Palace Arena.<p>

Shen knew that he needed to rest his body but he didn't want to think about what the panda had told him at the Pool of Sacred Tears. His way of doing that, was through training and while much of his form relied on his throwing knives and spear, he was still able to work on his close combat technique. He was so used to his weapons though that without them he was rather rusty, but he still had some moves remembered and he executed them flawlessly.

What did the panda know? He wasn't right. Forgiveness was _not_ so powerful. Where would he be had he forgiven anyone for anything? No where! He would be exiled still and alone had he forgiven anyone. There was nothing more for him. Nothing left but to take back his home, his city and all of China!

Suddenly, the albino bird stopped. Panting, he looked at his shadow cast before him in the glow of the evening sun. His tail feathers were flared up, a normal and vital component to his combat style...but his feathers were _thin_. Every single time he flaired his train it was a solid fan of feathers but now...no, Shen didn't dare look back at them, he could see in his shadow that his final battle must have caused such _damage_.

No matter...his tail feathers would grow back in time. Until then though...

The shadow being cast by the fanned out train disappeared and Shen sighed.

He suddenly thought of the Soothsayer. That old goat would tell him his future, tell him what he wanted to know and lie all at the same time. She wasn't here though, she _promised_ to always stay with him, but she had abandoned him...just like his parents left him, _alone_.

He wondered though, if she forsaw her own release. The goat was not a captive to him because he knew she was willing to stay. If she knew so much, he was sure she knew he was here now, yet she did not come?

Scarlett eyes scanned the Arena looking from someone he knew wasn't there.

"Hey Shen, you okay there?"

It was the panda. He and the others had returned, but he did not turn to look at them.

"Shen?" The female snake's voice was soft, speaking less than what she had meant.

"I'm quite alright," he replied as he turned to face them.

Crane seemed to be the only one to notice that he had not verbally lashed out to anyone and for this he smiled, catching Shen's eye. Unfortunately, before the peacock could glare at the stupid bird, the Dragon Warrior spoke up.

"Aw! You should have been there Shen! It was _awesome_! First we came into the villiage and then, **BAM**! We-"

"Yes, yes, that's very nice," the white bird said, voice thick with sarcasm but his head cocked with interest and his eyes grew wide in mock anticipation.

"It was nice! We saved the vill-"

"I _don't_ care, Panda," Shen noted with a small smile when the bear's enthusiasm dimmed.

"But-"

"Come on Po," Tigress said, giving the peacock a glare as she led the larger creature away.

Monkey and Mantis followed behind them but the female snake looked up to Crane and the two exchanged a glance before the crane nodded.

"Lord Shen," the female gave a nod before she too left.

_Great_.

"It _was_ a pretty fun battle," Crane tried.

"What do I care?"

Oh right. Shen was the 'bad guy', he didn't care about anything good. Still, Po believed there was good in him and that if he can follow the right road, that he would be able to find happiness.

"I'm going into the Valley for vegetables for dinner...did you want to come with me?"

Crane was sure that Shen did not like being stuck on the palace grounds. Yes, there was a lot of ground to see and Crane was sure that even _he_ hadn't seen it all, but he also knew that to Shen they were still the enemy. Being in enemy territory could be uncomfortable. He knew that if he were to take Shen out of the palace that he would see, in time, that he wasn't a prisoner, but like Shifu said, _a guest_.

The taller bird tilted his head and his hat shifted a bit. He wasn't going to say anything more in the fear that pressuring the other would only make them take steps back in the progress they've been making over the last two days. He waited a bit before Shen blinked and nodded.

"Yes, I could use a new robe," Shen said more to himself the crane.

Crane still didn't see what was wrong with the robe that Po had picked, but if the peacock wanted a new robe, then Crane wasn't complaining so long as he came with him. That itself was progress because, after all, he _could_ have said 'no'.


	5. Chapter IV

**A / N**: So you guys do read this, lol, I feel like a dork. I have no idea how the currency works either O_o I looked it up and my internet is bad, so it was more trouble than it was worth, so ignore it? :3

**D i s c l a i m e r**: Any recognizable characters do not belong to me, nor does Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2 or any related works save for this fic of course. I'm just playin' with the characters and I'll put them back when I'm done :)

**R e v i e w s**: A n o n. . ._A N O N_! I can't reply to y ou y'know . And I gotta try to reply to everyone ;P  
><span>Comrade<span>: It is really awesome actually. I've never used it before now, lol. I love it, but she [Masha] is actually writing in it, I just thought it'd be fun to respond in the language as well. Aw, I don't think that's true, remember, Shen's crippled and his pride is wounded. He has issues. Mmhm, waiting DOES help...a little XD Yes you are! Lol, nice  
><span>Masha<span>:Ха-ха, нет! Mmhm, просто чтобы сказать ему. и он хотел, чтобы показать ему, как найти внутренний мир тоже. Да, но, возможно, он будет! Мы будем видеть.Я рад, что это все-таки интересно вам! Спасибо вам и спасибо. Я рад, что вы думаете Кран прекрасно, как он. "Secrets of the Furious Five"? Нет, но я хочу Mmhm! Это звучит интересно! Я не говорю, но это звучит очень круто. Ха-ха, добро пожаловать!  
><span>WiseScholar<span>: They did end in cliffhangers, but I picked them up. And the hangar for pt II was touched on it ch. III. Sorry ^^; This is true...I hadn't even meant to do that, lol XD Pretty much, that, and it's all in the past. As for everything Shen essentailly gave him...i'll have to work that in. I like it. Haha, I'm glad you liked that! And wait no more, chapter IV is here :]

**Again, reviewing means a lot guys, so thanks again to EVERYONE. You've all been a _BIG_ help.. .. ..  
>Again, again, I still hope everyone is in character!<br>(Also, thank you everyone that is favoriting this story!)**

This fic does contain some **_SPOILERS_**.  
><strong><em><span>Un-beta-ed<span>_**.

Enjoi~

* * *

><p>[<strong>Ch. IV<strong>]  
>1838<p>

The last time Shen heard gasps in his presence that were worth something, he was bent on reclaiming his home. The gasps he heard now though were different.

Admiring.

"Master Crane!"

One child shouted from their place beside their mother and said warrior nodded with a smile, "hello."

This continued sporadically. Everyone knew who the crane was and it wasn't much of a surprise to Shen. In fact, it was a bit annoying. So annoying in fact, he walked off and began to search for a suitable robe for himself. He knew he would not find the finest silk that he was used to, especially in a run down market such as this one. No. He would have to find something acceptable.

Keeping his head high, Shen navigated through the dump and looked at a few stands. There were bright colored robes in the dozens but nothing that he was quite looking for.

After a while of walking through the market, the albino bird was about to just look for the crane instead and demand to be taken back, but his eyes caught something else. Across the path was a shop and he could see someone hanging a white crisp robe up.

Shen walked over to the shop, having to dodge three giggling piglets and their angy father, before he made his way inside.

"Welcome," the owner boomed from somewhere in the shop.

Shen did not respond as he was focused on the robe. He held the material between his feathers and a weight came off him. This place was not as pathetic as he thought. The silk that he held was far from the finest he grew up with, but it was the best in this place and likely the only thing for him here.

"How-" he cut himself off. He was going to ask how much before he realized that he had no currency on him, not even a coin.

"If you're not buyin', get out," the same voice boomed again, scaring off two young rabbits that were looking at robes on the far side of the shop.

Shen knew that meant him, but he had to have this robe. The cotton one he had on now was not good enough for him.

"Hey peacock, if you're not buyin' then," owner came around the robe to look at the bird and he blinked and snickered, "you're that peacock!"

Shen blinked and let the silk fall from his feathers. "Who are you?"

He knew the fat and disgusting pig was no one he knew; he would never keep such an animal in his company.

"I'm just one of about _everyone_ that heard of you got defeated by the Dragon Warrior!" The loud bellowing of the owner caused his eye to twitch, but he said nothing. He was defeated.

"Ha! Get outta my shop you dumb bird!"

The owner continued to laugh and he gave Shen a 'shoo' motion with his hands. Despite his annoyance he took a step back but just one. He would not be treated this way.

"_Get out_! I'm not selling to you or-M-Master Crane!" His demeanor suddenly changed and the pig bowed and smiled, "welcome to my-"

"Is there a...problem here?" His question was airy and light, causing the pig to smile.

"No! No, just letting this peacock here know that I reserve the _right_ to refuse service to him, and he has no money," the fat slop's tone was confident, he felt as though he was in the right and there was no harm done.

"Oh?" Crane walked to Shen's side, "what were you looking at?"

Shen blinked and was about to say something but closed his beak.

Crane looked around the shop and spotted a white robe behind the large store owner and said, "I'd like to buy that." He gestured to the robe with his foot and set the radish filled basket he was holding in his wing to the ground to get coins to pay.

"B-but he-!" It was clear that the owner did not want to sell the robe to Shen.

"How much?"

"I will not sell to him!"

"You're selling it to me," brown eyes narrowed beneath his hat, "_how much_?"

Crane was clearly not leaving anything open for discussion and the owner fumbled. He knew his shop being in the graces of the Furious Five brought in money and customers, even now the drawing crowd at the entrance would spend money on what he was selling simply because Master Crane was here.

Shen cocked his head and looked to the other bird with much interest. It was something to see the other, so gentle and kind, to be _harsh_.

"F-fif-fifteen hundred Y-Yuan," the pig stuttered as he held his greedy hands out to collect the money that Crane dropped into them.

Once the owner collected his money and handed back the change; he then turned and handed Crane the silk robe. The warrior all but snatched the robe and held it out to Shen, all the while watching the shop owner who was watching his sold product.

The peacock blinked and took the robe as Crane picked the basket up and held it against his body.

"Thank you for shopping at-"

Crane was not particularly interested in what he had to say, so he turned and walked out of the store with Shen close behind him.

The peacock wasn't particularly used to being verbally attacked like that. In any other case he would have simply killed the owner and be done with it, but with his train being damaged and the fact that he was disarmed were all against him. Not to mention that pig was probably bigger than the Dragon Warrior in size and weight.

The pair of birds navigated through the crowd but before they made it out a goose suddenly came flapping by and all but crashed into Shen. The peacock stumbled for his footing and by the time he regained it he spotted Crane looking around for him in the sea of merchants and customers. Getting back to him wouldn't be a problem, so the albino bird relaxed.

"Watch where you're going," he hissed at the stupid bird that flew into him. Shen gave an annoyed sigh and started to make his way back to Crane, but as suddenly as the goose had run into him he was hit again.

_Hard_.

Ruby eyes widened in shock, a bit dazed, as they continued to blink. What hit him?

He turned in time to see a fruit fly at him and only was able to dodge at the last second. The spines on the fruit caught his neck and he glared at the rabbit that threw it at him. The creature picked up another fruit and returned his glare. It wasn't until a blunt object hit im in the back did Shen look around. Ruby eyes scanned a crowd that had now began to circled around him.

Oh how he wanted to kill each and every one of them. How simple it would be had he had his weapons with him.

Another fruit came flying at him and he lifted his wing in time to block it. Unfortunately his wings were still not up to strength so the impact hurt far more than he anticipated and he winced. Bringing his feathers out of his face, Shen's eyes widened when he saw a large pig running at him. The store owner.

Any other day he would fan out his train to distract the stupid creature then discard him, but right now he had to focus so much to keep his feathers down. It was distracting and very costly. The peacock stepped out of the way in time, but not far enough because the animal stepped on his long feathers and Shen could actually feel some being pulled from his body.

"Aaah! Get off you filthy _animal_!"

"Haha, oops!" The pig moved his foot and Shen turned to see three of his tail feathers on the ground and he glared up at the large creature.

In a matter of seconds, the pig was flat on his back and Shen had his talons gripping the fat throat tight. He would _die_. _Right here_.

"Shen!"

The bird's talons gripped even tighter, even as a fruit flew past his head. The pig was flailing under him and Shen's eyes brightened with amusement. Oh how he _missed_ this.

"P-Plea-" the pig's plea was cut off as he went limp, and just as Shen was about to break his neck to make sure he was dead, a weight tackled him to the ground.

The albino bird screeched out and tried to get out from under the pig that was on him. The creature was so fat he could barely breathe and with his previous injuries not fully healed he wasn't able to get himself free.

"Shen!"

The peacock couldn't see who was calling him, and even with the pig off suddenly of him he couldn't see anything. His vision blurred and his breathing was labored, then everything went black.

* * *

><p>In the barracks, every room was dark, save for one. The warm glow of the fire reached into the hall and two shadows were cast against the paper door.<p>

Shen was seated on the floor and Crane was standing beside him. The albino peacock's feathers were a bit ruffled and dirty. Mantis and Viper would have been the ones to fix Shen up, but Crane took it upon himself to do it. Of course he wasn't going to be able to do as good of a job and his two friends, but he had the basic skill when it came to medical work, and the peacock's injuries were not so bad. He knew though, that they would have to check him later for further damage on his previous injuries.

"Did you...see the look on their...faces," Shen's voice was distant, his breaths came out short and shallow, "They..._hate_ me..."

"No they don't," Crane said softly as he pressed a wet cloth the the peacock's neck, "they were...surprised..."

Shen knew that the other bird was just saying that in a sad attempt to make him feel better, but he knew that it was a lie.

"No they weren't," his eyes wandered down to the floor and he sighed, "they hate me...they will always _hate_ me..."

The bird that was standing knew Shen wanted to say more. He wanted to say that they hated him...that _everyone hated him_. Crane gave the cloth a gentle squeeze to get the medicinal liquid onto the wound before he dabbed the cloth over the abrasion a few times, "I don't hate you."

Shen turned his head to look at the crane who was mending his wounds. The bird was staring intently at what he was doing and the peacock watched him a few seconds more before turning away.

_That had to be a lie_.

Right?


	6. Chapter V

**A / N**: Hey guys. Sorry for the delay. I'm a Libra and there seems to be zero balance in my life right now. Um...I pushed this chapter out, so hopefully it's alright. I also _apologize _for lackluster responses to reviews. I'm not in the best of moods, so...yeah, sorry about that.

**D i s c l a i m e r**: Any recognizable characters do not belong to me, nor does Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2 or any related works save for this fic of course. I'm just playin' with the characters and I'll put them back when I'm done :)

**R e v i e w s**: A n o n. . ._A N O N_! I can't reply to y ou y'know . And I gotta try to reply to everyone ;P  
><span>Shadow of Darkness 22<span>: New face? O_o **WELCOME**! Lol, well, no worries. Oh wow, that's a compliment, it's not that great. I'm glad Shen's in character and the fact that you get the sense of connection! That's a biggie for me. Well, we can't keep Shen in the palace forever, so I'm glad you enjoyed that. Pigmen? Hahaha XD Oh gosh it's not weird at 3am! I was kinda going for that but dismissed the notion because I wasn't sure it would translate well when I wrote it out. I'm really glad the ending went over so well and of course...Shen's completely Shen and not believing it. Your very welcome! I would have loved to reply fully, but I don't wanna take up so much space, haha.  
><span>Masha<span>: ( IOU, my internet is awful at the moment. Sorry. )  
><span>WiseScholar<span>:I think we all hat the pig, haha XD And Shen attacking him didn't help but I didn't think it was in Shen's character, at this point in the story, to just sit by and let it happen. Again, I'm glad everyone is liking the ending of the last chapter :) (Referring to your 7/12 review) way a head of yapal. Here ya go.  
><span>Comrade<span>: Oh gee, haha. Well...not that great ^^; Encourages you guy? Reviews encourage me! Haha.  
><span>CauseIReallyLikeThisStoryCauseIJustMessedUp: I'm diggin' the anon reviewer name :D Anyway, way ahead of you, lol, I looked into it just in case. And you caught that? Mmhm, Shen's gonna have to work it without his feathers, so we'll see how he does. KNxkjndef...I has no beta and writing, then reading the same thing over and over gets boring and my eyes quit on me sometimes, haha. Hurm...I'll see if i can get that in more...I know it's there a bit, but i'll work on it. In the air...peacocks can't fly though? I looked into it and found nothing helpful, they can fly...kinda and glide? We'll see, haha. Aw! That's cute. I WILL do it...I have to

**I think my reviews are turning into a discussion ground. I love it you guys, haha XD**

**Again, reviewing means a lot guys, so thanks again to EVERYONE. You've all been a _BIG_ help.. .. ..  
>Again, again, again, I still hope everyone is in character!<br>(Also, thank you everyone that is favoriting this story!)**

This fic does contain some **_SPOILERS_**.  
><strong><em><span>Un-beta-ed<span>_**.

Enjoi~

* * *

><p>[<strong>Ch. V<strong>]  
>2323<p>

Shen was up early to avoid another gathering outside his door. This time he left his room and was perched upon to roof of the barracks. It had only been hours since in incident in the village and the albino peacock was in no rush to return there should he be attacked again. Maybe...yes, perhaps when he was healed he would pay a visit to the over grown slop of a pig and kill him. Slowly. Painfully. Oh how marvelous it would be. Then, once he was finished there, he would destroy the rest of the quaint valley and be done with them all. He could hardly wait for the opportunity to take back what was rightfully his. Still, even with these appealing thoughts that he fully intended to turn into action, he continued to think about Crane. That night while the other bird was mending his wounds he said he did not hate Shen. Shen of course did not believe this.

There was no reason for Crane to not hate him. He had tried to kill him and his friends, he had succeeded in killing a fellow Kung Fu warrior, he had tried to take over China, Shen saw that as reason enough. Still, the crane stood beside him and gently tended to all of his wounds. After the admission the two had fell into a silence. It was...odd. Awkward. The last time Shen could recall the feeling was when the Soothsayer had witness him while he was trying to come up with the perfect greeting for the panda. The feeling was so similar, yet different. With the old goat the awkward feeling was brushed away, however, that night with Crane, all he wanted to do was get away from the other bird. It was...awkward.

"Shen?"

The peacock's flinch wasn't noticeable at all, a mere tightening of his muscles and a slight ruffle of his feathers, nothing more. Had it been the Dragon Warrior he was sure he would have all but lost his footing at the warrior's apparent lack of subtly when it came to him.

Ruby eyes turned to his right to see the female snake wearing a smile and at the end of her tail she held a cup.

"_What_?"

"Mantis and I made this for you," she started with a small smile as she shifted a bit on the roof, "we...we heard about what happened in the market."

Her tone wasn't anything except for kind and calm. She didn't seem to be afraid of him nor did she seem to have the intent to attack him. So then why was she here? He _refused_ to accept the fact that she genuinely cared about his well being.

"What have you come to me for then," his own voice was calculated and cold. If she was here to give him that foul smelling drink then she should have left it and then left him alone. Yet she was still here. What more did she want from him.

"To give you this," she held the cup up and nodded toward it. When he didn't take it from her, she set it down and pushed it toward him a bit.

"Yes, and now you have, go away-"

"Hey, don't me rude to the lady," the voice came from his other side and he turned to see Mantis. The small bugged jumped onto Shen's shoulder then back down on the roof to stand before the female snake.

"Don't you _ever_...do that...again," the bird said. He was in slight disbelief that the warrior had done that. Then again...all things considered, he shouldn't have been surprised, but even still, he wasn't about to allow himself to be underestimated. It was clear that they were comfortable around him.

"So anyway, is he gonna drink it Viper?"

"I hope, he really-"

"I'm standing right here," Shen noted, cutting into the two's seemingly private conversation that they were having right in front of him.

"Sorry Lord Shen," Viper nodded her head, and before she could say anything more, Mantis spoke up.

"So you went into the city, that didn't go so well, huh?"

"Mantis!" Viper's hiss was chiding as she didn't want the two arguing.

"What? I'm just making a point...he needs to drink that," he pointed at the cup that has remained untouched since Viper set it down.

Shen glared at the bug and continued to. There wasn't any chance he was going to let them win.

"Mantis," Viper said softly, jerking her head in the opposite direction, The small insect took the hint and started off. "It really will make you feel better Lord Shen," she said before she followed Mantis and then the two were gone.

After a few seconds the peacock gave a heavy sigh and allowed his body to slump. Keeping his frame so tense just reminded him about how sore he really was. Leaning his neck slightly, Shen eyed the cup, staring at it as if it would blow up in any minute now. When the cup did not, the peacock picked it up from the roof and brought it closer to his face. It had a pungent odor and he wasn't too eager to drink it, even so, he looked around before quickly downing the liquid. He nearly gagged at the taste, but he managed to keep it down and with a soft clank he set the cup back down.

The faster he healed, the sooner he would be able to get out of here. That was the only reason he took the drink. He could feel the fuzzy warmth moving through his body and he was able to breathe a bit easier, even with the taste still in his mouth. He wasn't thankful. No. His condition was not his fault. Had Crane not taken him down into the valley market then this would not have happened. This idea was in the forefront of Shen's mind, but in the back, in a small corner of his thoughts was a nagging truth.

Had Crane not been there to save him, _he would have died_.

* * *

><p>"...well, I couldn't have done it alone," Tigress finished as she took a drink from her bowl of noodles. The female was talking about a mission of sorts that she and Po had gone on in their early days. In this story Tigress explained how she did not fully understand the panda's methods and how stressful it was to be on a two person mission. He blunt honesty had a certain charm that had Po smiling from his place at the end of the table. It wasn't just their chemistry but the chemistry between all the warriors that made Shen fully realize that he was an outcast.<p>

No matter the number of times Po had attempted to drag him into the conversation, or Viper trying to get him to contribute to the topic or Monkey trying to identify with him, it was odd. He knew they were trying to welcome him, still trying to get him used to things. This was the second time he had sat to eat with them at dinner and he knew if they had their way there would be more times to follow. He knew their plan. Their idea that if he was with them more, as a team, then he would become comfortable with them.

_Drop_ his guard.

Be their _friend_.

_It was ridiculous_.

Shen's burning gaze went from his empty bowl to the set of every that were watching him since he sat down. When they made contact they watched each other before the peacock glared and got off the chair he was sitting on. He left his bowl and he ignored the calls after him and the pair of eyes that watched him intently. Shen knew that if he wanted to be stared at that he would go to into the valley and be watched like some plague. No. He didn't need the attention and he didn't _want_ it. He knew that Crane would say otherwise.

Talons clawed over stone steps as he walked down onto a lush path. He could not recall walking this way before and he hoped that maybe he would get lost. This was rather unlikely and he knew it. Before he could delve further into his thought a gush of wind rocked his body and the sweet scent of flowers cause him to turn his head. A bloomed tree caught his attention and without hesitation he made his way over. He had to walk around a few peaches that littered the ground to get to the trunk where he place his wing. The bark was cool and a sigh fell from his beak.

"Lord Shen," the deep voice started him and he visibly jumped and turned around but there was nothing there.

The peacock blinked and his breathing was heavy, trying to get his racing heart to slow down. He turned back and jumped again when he saw Shifu standing near the cliff's edge.

"What are you doing," he all but shouted frantically. How he wanted to shove the small bear off the cliff and watch him die. Maybe then he would truly find some sort of peace.

"Oh. nothing," Shifu said nonchalantly as he moved his shoulders up and dropped them. Shen only tilted his head and watched him. What was that supposed to mean?

"The Dragon Warrior talked to you about inner peace," the red panda said levelly, folding his arms over one another in his sleeves.

The peacock opened his beak to respond with a curt 'no', but then he did remember that the fat panda had said something to him about the technique at the pool of water. Now what the warrior had said exactly was lost on Shen as it was something he refused to dwell on.

"There is not _only_ one way to master the technique," Shifu started. It was clear by his tone that he was wise with experience and age. He spoke to Shen without making it seem as if the young Lord knew what he spoke of or otherwise. He was rather neutral and Shen found himself drawn in. He listened with interest. The same sort of interest he gave the Soothsayer when she spoke to him about someone else's future and his own. "I have found it through pain, Po found it through forgiveness," the red panda gave his head a nod before he held out his paw. Shen blinked and leaned back slightly, not sure what the other was expecting. "You will find it".

Just then, the small Master warrior suddenly sped toward him and Shen managed a step back. Shifu hit the trunk of the tree before he jumped back and landed on his feet.

"Wha-ow!" Shen was cut off from a string of complaints when a peach landed solidly on his head and he hissed in slight pain. His head began to ache slightly as he looked down to his talons to see the fruit menace roll to a stop against his robes.

"That hurt, didn't it?"

"Well of course!" The peacock was not ignorant to the amused chuckle that the other didn't bother holding back, and how it mocked him. His eyes narrowed and he parted his beak to say more but yet again he was cut off before he was given the chance to say anything.

"Try the peach."

"_No_."

"Try it."

Shen sighed, "why?"

He had just eaten dinner and he was not hungry. He did not want to peach, especially after it hit him on the head no thanks to the stupid panda.

"Because it's good, you'll like it. Give it a try."

The albino bird still did not jump at the peach. It wasn't a known fact, outside of the Soothsayer and his parents, that peaches were his favorite food. Still, he was not willing to eat it after it hit him. He knew it was silly to glare down at the fruit like it had done him harm by simply falling.

"You will _never_ experience the good if you do not take that it has happened in the past, what has hurt you, and move on to try the future."

Shen blinked up at Shifu only to see that the other was smiling back at him. He didn't want to imagine the dumb look he was likely giving the other, so he quickly hardened his features and stood a bit taller. The older warrior only gave a throaty laugh before he started to walk past the proud bird.

"It's settled. Crane will begin teaching you tomorrow."

"What..." Shen's voice trailed off as he turned to see Shifu already far away from him and he sighed.

Accept the past. Accept that it happened. Was that all?

Snow white feathers reached out and brushed the fuzzy peach before they moved around it and he picked it up. He wore the same accusing glare but it softened as he closed his eyes and took a bite. The sweet fruit was delicious. Living in Gongmen city in his early years did not give him much opportunity to eat peaches as the city was not suited to grow them. The fruit was imported for him and it had been far too long since he had eaten one. Swallowing, Shen took another bite. This one was not overwhelmed with the rich flavor but with memories.

His mother feeding him diced peaches. His father directing a wolf to bring in a crate full from the harbor. The Soothsayer playing with him as she created images with peaches in her bowl. She would conjure them dancing in intricate patterns. He would laugh with his mother and father. He-

A grunt abruptly halted his thoughts as he threw the peach over the cliff and turned his head, not bothering to make sure it dropped.

What was he thinking?

Acceptance?

No.

**He _couldn't_**.


	7. Chapter VI

**A / N**: Alright! I was going to give you guys a cliffhanger but I realized that I haven't updated in about two weeks, so it was the least I could do. I was also going to make this chapter longer, but then I realized that you guys would be waiting another two weeks, and I didn't want to do that to you guys. I feel bad already, heh. Anyway! I'm feeling much better, so hopefully I can get back on top of things and update a tad bit faster, but per usual, no promises. Also, someone _Icantrememberwhorightnow_ commented on the number under the chapter header and it is the word count. I found thought that it depends on what counter you use and yadda yadda blah dee blah, but for this one I actually typed it in the FF document editor and used that counter. For the others I used a random website. Sorry this beginning chunk is so **long**...it's 3:40am and I kinda got into it.

**D i s c l a i m e r**: Any recognizable characters do not belong to me, nor does Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2 or any related works save for this fic of course. I'm just playin' with the characters and I'll put them back when I'm done :)

**R e v i e w s**: A n o n. . ._A N O N_! I can't reply to y ou y'know . And I gotta try to reply to everyone ;P  
><span>CauseIStoppedByAgain<span>: Oh my goodness you made me laugh so hard with that! That's basically what he's thinking! If you're really agreeing with that then you should enjoy this chapter! Haha XD Ihopeyoudoanyway. Mmhm, yes, it's fun putting him out of his element and yeah, I don't think he ever really was on top of it. You did? :D I'm glad! I was having a hard time with that scene. It's a great idea! And I'm a sucker for cute! So like I said, it's gonna be happenin'! I actually set up for it in this chapter. Am I really getting better? I feel so lame sometimes, ha. And DUDE! Oogway and Shen would be-kjankjwfn! Someone has to write THAT! Oh damn...I feel like if I work it in notthewayIseeit it would come out all crappy. I'll do some hommage though because I love Oogway :]  
><span>Comrade<span>: Why thank you. Haha, I'm only listing about a third of the reviewers because I can't PM a reply to your guys' comments, lol. BUT if you enjoy being listed here then huzzah! I enjoy writing this all up, haha. And to avoid dying, here is chapter VI!  
><span>Wolfbane<span> Hemlock: I'm glad you think this fic here is 'cool', haha, and here's that update.  
><span>WiseScholar<span>: No worries :] Things are getting a sort of adjusted balance. I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! And did it? Really? I hope that's a good thing. And you're kidding right? I was editing that second so much because I was so worried that Shifu sounded...wrong, BUT I'm glad you think I did a good job! I'm all accomplished right now, haha. You're right on the money man. That's pretty much it. Though personally I don't think love can develop that fast, not in this situation anyway, so maybe the early stages of that, yes. Oh damn. I love your theory! I really do. I love talking about things like this but in short, I fully agree, but I think Shen likes to force pain on others so they can feel an ounce of what he feels all the time, he wants them to suffer like he does. And I may be going out on a limb here but the way I see it, Shen does want to be close to someone and he wants his parents to love him but he's in a sort of...denial, like, he can't accept it, not now anyway, but somewhere in there he **NEEDS** to be loved, and not by fangirls, haha. (That was a long response, haha.) They haven't...and I wrote this chapter before re-reading your review, so enjoy! This is true, but Shen wasn't there ;) True, but that's where the fic writing comes in, plus, I love peaches, so yeah, heh. I couldn't resist.  
><span>Shadow of Darkness 22<span>: Really? Aw, that makes me feel not so bad for having a crummy month and updating so slow. Ugh. I;m really glad you enjoyed though! Haha, no worries! We all have those moments! Oh don't worry! I've got it all planned out...like...I have the ending written up already, lol. But I look forward to writing the change and seeing how you guys will like it.  
><span>Winterwhip<span>: Another new face? O_o **WELCOME**! I'll admit, sometimes people's honesty is discouraging. It's not really a _crack_ pair is it? I mean...it's not cannon but it's not like I'm doing a miserable job either XD That said, I'm glad you're enjoying this despite your initial reaction. I've heard that one once before so I'm glad I can reach readers that aren't even fond of the pairing as well as improve on each chapter. Lastly, yes, I know, I'm not error-proof and a lot of mistakes can be EASILY fixed if I re-read the chapters, but alas, I am lazy and reading the same thing over and over and over andoverandoverandoverandover gets to me x_x So **I'm still open for a beta**, but I hope the story isn't majorly affected by my mistakes, heh.

**Again, reviewing means a lot guys, so thanks agin to EVERYONE. You've all been a _BIG_ help.. .. ..  
>A reviewer said I shouldn't worry about characterization because I've pretty much got them down pat, but I'm such a big fan of the franchise that I shall CONTINUE to be concerned about dialogue, thoughts and motions for the characters. I can't help it.<br>(Also, thank you everyone that is favoriting this story!)**

Can I do an honorable mention thing right hur? I'm the author, so I can. I wanna thank Charlie B. Barkin for PMing me and encouraging/reminding me to update this fic. I have no idea where this story, you guys, or I would be without this guy. So thanks :]

This fic does contain some **_SPOILERS_**.  
><strong><em><span>Un-beta-ed<span>_**.

Enjoi~

* * *

><p>[<strong>Ch. VI<strong>]  
>2394<p>

"_It's settled. Crane will begin teaching you tomorrow_."

Was there absolutely no way for tomorrow to come any slower? Well, unfortunately not, but there was a way for Shen to delay the day and that was simply to stay in his room. Lucky for him he did not see Crane anywhere when he awoke.

_Good_.

Now all he had to do was stay here for the remainder of the day. That shouldn't be too difficult.

The snow white bird scraped his talons along the floor mat before he walked across the room to look out the window. It was a cloudy day and Shen knew that the rains would be coming soon. At this, the young Lord's features fell into a slight frown. It wasn't that he disliked the rain, it was just...troublesome. His train would get dirtied by the mud, as a peachick it was something he enjoyed but now...there was no room for that. For a second, the bird thought back to his once beautiful train, but before he had the opportunity to dwell too much on it he blinked. His red eyes narrowed slightly as the wind blew, sending a slight breeze into the room then suddenly Shen jumped at a noise in the corner.

He whirrled around, fully expecting it to be the Dragon Warrior or even Viper, but neither were. What he saw was something...familiar. A small wooden box and a canvas. Now the particular items were not things he had seen before, but something like it...yes. His parent had given him these items when he was younger.

Shen blinked and cocked his head as his ruffled feathers set back against his body and he approached the items that were against the wall. The small box wasn't closed all the way and a brush had fallen out.

"Hmm..."

White feathers reached out for the box and he let it fall open in his grasp. It was a simple calligraphy set, six brushes and two bottles of ink. Ruby hues blinked and the bird picked up the brush from the floor and set it back in its place.

"There now," he muttered, feeling a sense of self approval. As if he accomplished something.

Setting the box aside, Shen reached for the canvas that was covered with slight curiosity. The tips of his feathers stroked the soft matrial and just as he was about to grab it for a closer look-

"Shen? Are yo-"

"H-how dare you? Can't you..." the peacock fumbled for his words as he stared widely at the crane before him, "knock?"

Crane made a face that made it clear that he was amused but trying to hide it. He didn't do a great job at it. Still, he brought his wing to his lowered beak in an attempt to stifle a laugh. Could he be helped? The image of Shen doubling back and nearly falling over was sort of funny.

"Actually, this is my room," he noted, as he had a few times before.

"That doesn't matter," Shen said. It was obvious he was lacking ground to stand on with his argument.

"..." Crane just looked at him before shifting his wings at his side and absent scratching his chest with his foot. "So," he started, his wings giving a slight flutter as he perked up, "you like calligraphy?"

Crane figured that this was a good addition to Shen's growth, not to mention that it was benificial for him to. Calligraphy was a bit of a hobby for him and he had attempted to share it with Po when he had first arrived. The session to say the least was...counterproductive. The panda had simply drawn the Five in battles and many of his own imaginary enemies.

He had to admit though, it was funny.

Any thought, though, that he had of sharing this hobby with Shen was smashed when the peacock answered with a curt, "no."

Crane had to take a moment to recover before he tilted his head, "oh...I thought maybe you were," he motioned his wing toward the set on the ground, "the way you were looking at them..." his voice trailed off in hopes that maybe Shen would jump in with something, but when he didn't, the crane continued, "dooo you wanna know what that one says?"

His tone was lite and hopeful. He knew Shen was curious, the other bird was reaching for his canvas, but he also knew that Shen was a stubborn one, that the other would not admit to his own curiosity.

"I don't care what it says," the peacock lied as he turned his head away.

The events of the night before were still in the forefront of his mind. The dinner they all had together, the annoying way the other bird smiled at him, and Shifu. The red panda had told him that he would find inner peace when he could move on. To not forget the past, but accept it, and that Crane would help him to do it. This must be what the bird was here for but Shen was not about to ask him outright.

"Well...when you do," Crane started, "you can go ahead," he gave his head a slight shake as he smiled, "I don't mind."

"Doubtful," Shen said flatly. His gaze, though, remained on the wall.

The silence stretched between them and it slowly became thicker to the point where Shen thought that maybe he had said something wrong. The idea was fleeting and breif. He didn't care what he said or how it affected the other. It was clear when Crane asked him if he was hungry that the warrior was not deterred by his less that cooperative nature.

Shen's beak parted to repeat himself with a 'no', but before he even got the chance to say anything his beak closed as a faint rumbling sounded from him. Crane gave him a smile and a knowing look as his wings shifted slightly. The white bird instantly glared down to his stomach before he looked back up to the other with a frown. It was true that he was hungry, but he was still reluctant to go along with the crane.

"Well, come on, we don't want you starving," he said as he gentured for Shen to follow him.

The peacock watched as Crane walked through the door until he disappeared. For a second he was going to simply stand there but another growl from his stomach finally got his feet moving after the other. It was relatively quite in the bunks where they were all staying and Shen wondered for a second where everyone had suddenly died. The thought, like so many others as of late, was short and just that, a second. The chances of the ones keeping him here dying were very slim and proved wrong even more when Master Shifu met Crane and him at the end of the hall.

"Lord Shen," he acknowledged with a small nod before he turned to the crane, "Crane, I will need you to go with the others and travel to the next village, there has been disturbances reported."

"What kind?" It was clear to Shen that Crane was concerned.

"Thefts, break-ins, missing people...I fear there is more to this than we know," Shifu said absently as he looked away, deep in thought.

"Master, what about-"

"Tigress will remain here," he said, cutting Crane off before he complete his sentance, "I have told the others already, you will go to the villiage and try to find out more and then return back to the palace."

Shen was beginning to get the feeling that Shifu knew more than he was letting on and he found his own curiosity begining to peak.

"Yes Master Shifu," Crane said as he brought his wings together and bowed.

Shifu gave a nod then spoke again, "If you are ready," he sarted as he walked to the courtyard, "the others are prepared to leave."

Crane looked back to Shen who was still standing in the hall before following the red panda outside, "I am."

Shifu stood on the stairs as Crane walked off before he looked back to the albino bird, "Lord Shen, I trust you remember how to get to the kitchen," he offered a smile, "You may eat," it was clear by his tone that he knew that the bird was hungry and that annoyed Shen almost as much as the Soothsayer did. Knowing and right .

The peacock came down the stairs and just as he was about to head toward the kitchen an annoying voice caused him to tense up. It was the Dragon Warrior shouting about something and Shen did not care to stop and figure out just what he was going on about. Instead, he proceeded into another building on the palace grounds and he sighed. Being around the Five, Shifu and the panda was wearing on him. Being in his current state as well as not being able to give commands and orders, being feared, had him out of his element. Suddenly he thought of his boss wolf. He had no idea what triggered the thought but he was quick to dismiss it. There was no room for recollecting insubordination. Not now.

White feathers pushed the sliding door aside and his scarlet eyes widened slightly, his feathers raised a bit as he spotted Tigress.

"Why aren't you with the others," he all but spat out. He couldn't help the tone he used, nor did he want to. He knew this feline was aggressive, not more so than himself, but she was not an opponent to take lightly.

"I don't have to answer to you," she said calmly in a matter of fact tone from her place at the table.

Shen's eyes narrowed into a glare as he looked from her to the plate across from her. Peaches.

"Crane cut them for you, Po would have eaten them," she said absently before she took a bote of the dumpling held between her chopsticks.

The bird continued to stare at the cut fruit before he approached the table and inspecting the plate. His head cocked to the side and he was sure that the dish was poisoned, but he took a seat anyway. Once he was seated comfortably he leaned in closer before he sat up and caught Tigress' stare.

"Do you mind?"

"It's not poisoned," she said flatly before taking a drink from her cup, "_Crane_ wouldn't do that."

Shen got the feeling that there was more to that, that she held back 'but I would'. Perhaps not, but Shen knew, that given the chance, he would poison them all. It would be _marvelous_.

"You would," his tone was sure, with hidden curiosity. Would one of Shifu's _precious_ warriors do something like that?

"Perhaps".

His eyes widened and his beak opened before closing, surprised at her audacity. Tigress' tone was more level then Shen was comfortable with and he couldn't help to ask, "did you?"

"No."

"How do I know you're not lying," he said as he tilted his head up and eyed her. It was decided, Shen did not like the feline.

"Well, you'll just have to _trust_ me," she pointed out before she took her bowl and cup to the small wink and set them inside, "I'm going to train."

The peacock watched as she walked back to the table, pushed in her chair, gave a nod and then walked out of the room.

Trust her. He was supposed to trust her. Shen's gaze went from the doorway to the plate set before him and the eight pieces of sliced peaches that innocently rested on it. The peacock was not good with others, he had no need to be, but being here at the Jade Palace he found himself picking up on the other's characteristics and habits so to speak. He had an idea of each of them, some more than others and now he realized he knew nothing of the female and that annoyed him even further. As far as he knew, she would poison him the first chance she got, but from what he knew...the Dragon Warrior kept him alive this long. Had the panda not been able to keep Tigress at bay he'd likely be dead already. There was Po, and then Crane. Tigress said that the other bird had been the one to cut the fruit for him. Was that a lie too? This theory was written off when he thought back to when they were together earlier as Crane asked if he was hungry.

The peaches had not been out too long and he could only assume that Crane cut them and then went to his room the get Shen to eat. Now, though, he had a choice; trust that Tigress did not poison his food, trust that Po's intentions on salvaging him initially wasn't just do die, or trust that Crane would not let him be poisoned. He could always search for more peaches but he knew the walk would be long in his current condition. Shen was healing, there was no doubt about that, but he knew that it was best not to over exert himself. Still, putting his trust in his options did not sit well with him at all.

Pale feathers braced his frame against the table fore he got to his feet and walked out of the kitchen. There was no chance that he was going to begin trusting any of them.


End file.
